Gujarat CID’s Cyber Centre busts gang posing as TRAI, police officers

In a breakthrough against organised cyber fraud, the Cyber Centre of Excellence of the Gujarat CID Crime has busted a gang that allegedly duped victims of over ₹11.42 crore by posing as officials of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and law enforcement agencies. The accused allegedly carried out 'digital arrests' through WhatsApp video calls, threatening victims with legal action and extorting money.

A team led by Dr Rajdeepsinh Jala, Sanjay Keshwala and Vivek Bheda traced and arrested three accused from Ahmedabad. The arrested individuals have been identified as Kashyap Belani, Dineshbhai Libachiya, and Dhavalbhai Mewada.

The modus operandi

Investigators said the accused contacted victims through WhatsApp video and voice calls, introducing themselves as TRAI officials or police officers from Delhi. They falsely claimed that the victims’ mobile numbers had been misused in criminal activities and that FIRs had been registered against them under the orders of the Supreme Court.

Under the guise of a 'digital arrest', the fraudsters told victims not to leave their homes, not to contact anyone, and that agencies such as the CBI, ED, FEMA, RBI, SEBI, and RAW were investigating them. They threatened the victims with imprisonment and extorted large sums by directing them to transfer money to various bank accounts.

In one such case, the accused coerced a complainant into transferring ₹11.42 crore into multiple accounts, all under the pretext of clearing their name.

Money trail and evidence

According to the CID, the accused opened multiple bank accounts in the name of 'Vishwa Global Charitable Trust' to route the defrauded funds. The accounts were later used to transfer money to associates based in Mumbai.

During the operation, police seized 10 mobile phones, four debit cards, one laptop, three rubber stamps, and one cheque book. A detailed check of the accounts linked to the accused revealed that they were connected to at least 11 cybercrime cases across India, including one each in Mumbai (Maharashtra), Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), and Telangana, involving a total fraud of ₹18.55 crore. Of this, around ₹3.15 crore was traced to the bank accounts of the arrested men.